When the user interface during gameplay is a mess, that is when things are the worst. This is particularly problematic in MMOs (Massive Online Multiplayer games), as the screen can be littered with menus, buttons, chats, etc. When it comes to accessibility, few things turn casual gamers away like a terrible user interface. But I see your sins, and you are not forgiven.
Sure, this is a cultural puzzle, but it is ones like this that occur frequently in point-and-click adventures that use a lot of regional and cultural references that only land in their particular parts of the world.īut don’t think other genres miss out on this, because even big titles in the Metroid series, the Zelda series, and even the Super Mario series have committed this crime with little-to-no accountability. You see, that joke only works in North America, even if the puzzle is stupid illogical, so other English speaking countries that refer to the tool as a spanner, stillson wrench, or obstruction wrench were met with something that simply made no sense. Instead, you need to 1) get a banana, 2) hypnotize a piano-playing monkey, and 3) well… use the monkey as a… ugh… monkey wrench. There are workshops in the game that you can go back to, and yet, none of them have the tool you need to turn off the water. Take for example the infamous Monkey Island 2 monkey wrench puzzle. A lot of the time, you have to think way outside the box to make sense of what the game is trying to get you to do. In point-and-click adventure games, this is usually most problematic in exchange quests, where you need to trade items until you get the one you need. It is a puzzle that simply doesn’t make sense. So what is an illogical puzzle? Well, it is exactly what it sounds like. Although the Red Colony series is littered with other problems, it is the illogical and nonsensical puzzles that make the whole experience nearly unplayable. Well, Red Colony 2 came out months later and did it even worse (There is also a third one on the way, and I can’t imagine it will get better). I reviewed Red Colony 1 in January 2020 and found the puzzles to be either stupidly easy or illogically stupid. Puzzles that simply make no sense or require way too much abstract thinking out of its players create a painful and daunting experience.Īlthough point-and-click adventures tend to be the worst offenders, there are other titles that commit this crime incredibly. For every Grim Fandango and Maniac Manson out there, you have a Leisure Suit Larry 5, Monkey Island 2, or The Longest Journey that makes you want to pull your hair out at times. When it comes to illogical puzzles, no genre is worse than point-and-click adventures.
Well, without further adieu, these are The 7 Deadly Sins of Game Design. Now sure, there are some amazing games out there with some bad designs, but it is still worth pointing out that these amazing games could be even better if they fixed their problems and made the experience for the player even greater.
This list is going to cover decisions within the game development phase that are seemingly ignored or neglected, because these sins can genuinely ruin a game by their existence alone. Well, today, I am going to share what I believe to be The 7 Deadly Sins of Game Design, and this is something I have been thinking about for a long time now, especially since I have been reviewing games professionally.
“ The 7 Deadly Sins” are a grouping of vices within Christianity that dictate the terrible offenses that will destroy one’s life. Game design and development are incredibly tough jobs, but like any profession, there are grave mistakes that can completely ruin one’s hard work.